News/Insights

Introducing: OpenHome Labs (and more!)

Insights

According to reports, there will be 75 billion connected devices by 2020. That’s massive. And while it’s clear that the market demand is there, early stage connected home developers, who are vital to making this growth a reality, face an uphill battle. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 90% of tech startups fail.

We understand the importance of these start-ups within the industry, not only to accelerate innovation, but also to drive mass market adoption of the smart home. This is why we’re excited to announce today the launch of OpenHome Labs, a new program that helps companies bridge the divide between failure and success by accelerating the development and go-to-market process.

Through OpenHome Labs, members have access to direct market exposure to leading connected home service providers, branded differentiation, and mentorship and guidance from industry experts. Even more is that, because we believe it’s important for companies to focus their time on their innovative products, OpenHome Labs also offers assistance with the basics of development like RF design and wireless selection, REST API integration, and manufacturing and distribution.

But that’s not all. Today, we’re also excited to announce a new partnership with Indiegogo that will allow OpenHome Labs companies to brand their campaign on the crowdfunding platform with their inclusion in OpenHome Labs. Indiegogo will also offer a discounted rate for all OpenHome Labs participants leveraging their services. We like to think of this as “crowdfunding-plus” – a way to add a layer of strategic oversight and marketing muscle to startups trying to break into the smart home industry while raising funds. This partnership allows start-ups to have locked down access to funding, the credibility of a major player behind them, resources to help them on the path to launch, and a potential base of smart home customers via access to the world’s most powerful service providers. We have three inaugural members launching through this program – bt.tn, Reemo and Zen – and we can’t wait to see what’s ahead for these companies.

We see both of these announcements as a win-win. Not only will they help drive innovation within the smart home industry, they will also bring consumers more choices to help them build a connected home that fits their specific needs. It’s truly a step forward towards our vision as a company to provide a smart home solution for every household, so people worldwide spend less time managing their lives and more time living them.

The best in smart living is still to come, and we want everyone to experience it!

Interested in learning more? Visit OpenHome.io/openhomelabs for more details on the program, as well as information on how to apply to become a member.